After conducting a thorough gap analysis, the next step in the systems development life cycle (SDLC) is to target potential solutions to the gaps. There may be many potential solutions that can help to address workflow issues and inefficiencies, or there may be one seemingly obvious solution that could address almost all of the gaps in the current-state workflow. The challenge lies in selecting the most appropriate course of action from potential solutions that also works within organizational constraints.
In this Discussion, you revisit the scenarios from the Week 3 Discussion. You determine the possible avenues for workflow redesign and consider the constraints and factors that might impact your decision.
Scenario 1:
Stephanie is a nurse practitioner at Central Care Hospital who is often involved in administering prescribed medications for patients in the general care ward. When a physician sees a patient, he or she uses the hospital’s electronic health record (EHR) to document findings and recommendations for treatment but submits medication and drug orders by faxing prescriptions to the hospital’s pharmacy. Before Stephanie administers the medications from the pharmacy, she must cross-check the medication and dosage with the physician’s notes and patient information in the EHR. In doing so, Stephanie often identifies problems with the medication the physician prescribed; patients are sometimes prescribed a medication to which they have a known allergy or one that conflicts with another medication they are currently taking. In addition, the pharmacy sometimes sends the wrong medication or the wrong dosage. Furthermore, for patients who have been transferred from other parts of the hospital, such as the intensive care unit or the maternity ward, Stephanie often encounters duplicate drug orders or incorrect medications sent from the pharmacy.
Scenario 2:
General Health Hospital is implementing new outreach programs and preventative care support groups for patients with certain conditions or health risks, such as diabetes, smoking, and obesity. Philip, a nurse leader, is the manager of a team of nurses to organize these programs and groups and to identify patients who would be eligible and interested in being involved in these opportunities. However, Philip and his team have run into a variety of challenges and problems as they attempt to complete these tasks. In identifying patients to contact about the outreach programs and support groups, Philip’s team has had to browse the hospital’s entire electronic health record (EHR). The team has also run across significant holes in the EHR as they try to contact patients; many patients’ contact information is inaccurate or out of date. Furthermore, Philip’s team has partnered with the hospital’s Appointments Desk personnel in sending reminders about meeting dates and times to patients who express interest. However, the Appointments Desk often either neglects to send out these reminders or sends duplicate reminders to only a few patients because the personnel does not have a way of tracking who should be contacted and when.
Scenario 3:
Robert works in the medical records office at Garden View Hospital. Because the hospital does not have a policy of providing clinical summaries to patients after each visit, Robert frequently receives calls from patients requesting copies of their health information (such as test results, vital statistics, diagnostic information, and medication lists and dosages). For every request, Robert must retrieve the patient information from the hospital’s electronic health record (EHR), print out hard copies of the records, and then either mail the records or wait for the patient to retrieve them in person. Additionally, Robert’s hospital often receives lab test results for patients from certified third-party providers. These results are not automatically transferred from the provider’s EHR to the hospital’s EHR, so Robert often must contact the providers before responding to a patient’s request. Robert also finds that he and his colleagues in the office spend a considerable amount of time printing, mailing, and faxing immunization records to patients’ workplaces, schools, and volunteer organizations, which can be disruptive to the office’s other responsibilities.
To prepare
Review this week’s Learning Resources on workflow redesign. Then select one of the scenarios listed above to consider for this Discussion.
Note: You may choose to examine the same scenario you were assigned for the Week 3 Discussion, or you may select a different scenario.Identify one specific workflow issue (gap) in the scenario you selected. Formulate at least two distinct solutions for this workflow issue.Of the two solutions you developed, which would you recommend for redesigning the current-state workflow in the scenario you selected? Why?Reflect on the solution you would recommend. What two organizational constraints (budget, time, resources, personnel, IT expertise, resistance to change, lack of leadership, stakeholder buy-in, etc.) would most significantly impact the implementation of the solution? How would they impact the solution?
Post by tomorrow 10/11/16 a minimum of 550 words essay in APA format and at least 3 references, which addresses the level one headings as numbered below:
1) The scenario you selected and a description of the two solutions you developed for this workflow issue.
2) Identify the solution you would recommend, and explain how this solution would address the workflow issue.
3) Identify two organizational constraints that might impact the workflow redesign and explain their impact.

NURS4050
Learners in this course apply the knowledge and skills needed to respond to the unique biopsychosocial attributes and situational context of each individual patient while recognizing the patient as full partner in all health care decision making. Learners collaborate and adapt practices to support patient-centered care and defend decisions based on the code of ethics for nursing.  For BSN learners only.
Develop a 3-4 page preliminary care coordination plan for a hypothetical individual in your community. Identify and list available community resources for a safe and effective continuum of care.
The first step in any effective project or clinical patient encounter is planning. This assessment provides an opportunity for you to strengthen your understanding of how to plan and negotiate the coordination of care for an individual in your community as you consider the patient’s unique needs; the ethical, cultural, and physiological factors that affect care; and the critical resources available in your community that are the foundation of a safe plan for the continuum of care.
You are encouraged to complete the Care Coordination Planning activity as you begin to prepare this assessment. Completing this will provide valuable practice, especially for those of you who do not have experience with care coordination in community settings. The knowledge gained from completing this activity will assist you in passing the assessment. Completing formatives is another way to show engagement.
DEMONSTRATION OF PROFICIENCY
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the course competencies through the following assessment scoring guide criteria:
Competency 1: Adapt care based on patient-centered and person-focused factors.Analyze a health concern and the associated best practices for health improvement.Competency 2: Collaborate with patients and family to achieve desired outcomes.Establish mutually agreed-upon health goals for a care coordination plan, in collaboration with the patient.Competency 3: Create a satisfying patient experience.Identify available community resources for a safe and effective continuum of care.Competency 6: Apply professional, scholarly communication strategies to lead patient-centered care.Write clearly and concisely in a logically coherent and appropriate form and style.PREPARATIONImagine that you are a staff nurse in a community care center. Your facility has always had a dedicated case management staff that coordinated the patient plan of care, but recently, there were budget cuts and the case management staff has been relocated to the inpatient setting. Care coordination is essential to the success of effectively managing patients in the community setting, so you have been asked by your nurse manager to take on the role of care coordination. You are a bit unsure of the process, but you know you will do a good job because, as a nurse, you are familiar with difficult tasks. As you take on this expanded role, you will need to plan effectively in addressing the specific health concerns of community residents.

 

NURS4060
In this course, learners analyze the community and public health milieu, with emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention for culturally diverse people within a variety of community settings. Learners apply principles of community and public health, health promotion, epidemiology, social determinants of health, and social justice to achieve equity, eliminate disparities, and create environments to improve health and safety. Learners also examine leading health care indicators, health policy, and emergency preparedness.
Research a selected local, national, or global nonprofit organization or government agency to determine how it contributes to public health and safety improvements, promotes equal opportunity, and improves the quality of life within the community. Submit your findings in a 3-5 page report.
As you begin to prepare this assessment, it would be an excellent choice to complete the Nonprofit Organizations and Community Health activity. Complete this activity to gain insight into promoting equal opportunity and improving the quality of life in a community. The information gained from completing this activity will help you succeed with the assessment.
Professional Context
Many organizations work to better local and global communities’ quality of life and promote health and safety in times of crisis. As public health and safety advocates, nurses must be cognizant of how such organizations help certain populations. As change agents, nurses must be aware of factors that impact the organization and the services that it offers. Familiarity with these organizations enables the nurse to offer assistance as a volunteer and source of referral.
This assessment provides an opportunity for you gain insight into the mission, vision, and operations of a community services organization.
Demonstration of Proficiency
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

Competency 1: Analyze health risks and health care needs among distinct populations.

Explain how an organization’s work impacts the health and/or safety needs of a local community.

Competency 2: Propose health promotion strategies to improve the health of populations.

Explain how an organization’s mission and vision enable it to contribute to public health and safety improvements.

Competency 3: Evaluate health policies, based on their ability to achieve desired outcomes.

Assess the impact of funding sources, policy, and legislation on an organization’s provision of services.

Competency 4: Integrate principles of social justice in community health interventions.

Evaluate an organization’s ability to promote equal opportunity and improve the quality of life within a community.

Competency 5: Apply professional, scholarly communication strategies to lead health promotion and improve population health.

Organize content so ideas flow logically with smooth transitions; contains few errors in grammar/punctuation, word choice, and spelling.
Apply APA formatting to in-text citations and references exhibiting nearly flawless adherence to APA format.

Preparation
You are interested in expanding your role as a nurse and are considering working in an area where you can help to promote equal opportunity and improve the quality of life within the local or global community. You are aware of several nonprofit organizations and government agencies whose work contributes to this effort in some way. You have particular interest in one of these organizations but would like to know more about its contributions to public health and safety improvements. You would like to report the results of your research in a scholarly paper that you could submit for publication.
Research a selected local, national, or global nonprofit organization or government agency from the list provided. Determine how the organization or agency contributes to public health and safety improvements, promotes equal opportunity, and improves the quality of life within the community. Submit your findings in a 3–5-page report.
As you begin to prepare this assessment, it would be an excellent choice to complete the Nonprofit Organizations and Community Health activity. Complete this activity to gain insight into promoting equal opportunity and improving the quality of life in a community. The information gained from completing this activity will help you succeed with the assessment.
Choose the organization or agency you are most interested in researching:

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Note: Remember that you can submit all, or a portion of, your draft research paper to Smarthinking Tutoring for feedback, before you submit the final version for this assessment. If you plan on using this free service, be mindful of the turnaround time of 24–48 hours for receiving feedback.
Instructions
Research a selected local, national, or global nonprofit organization or government agency from the list provided. Determine how the organization or agency contributes to public health and safety improvements, promotes equal opportunity, and improves the quality of life within the community. Submit your findings in a 3–5-page report.
As you begin to prepare this assessment, it would be an excellent choice to complete the Nonprofit Organizations and Community Health activity. Complete this activity to gain insight into promoting equal opportunity and improving the quality of life in a community. The information gained from completing this activity will help you succeed with the assessment. After completing this activity, choose an organization or agency from the list that you are most interested in researching.
Document Format and Length
Format your paper using APA style.

Use the APA Style Paper Template. An APA Style Paper Tutorial is also provided to help you in writing and formatting your paper. Be sure to include:

A title page and references page. An abstract is not required.
A running head on all pages.
Appropriate section headings.

Your paper should comprise 3–5 pages of content plus title and references pages.

Supporting Evidence
Cite at least three credible sources from peer-reviewed journals or professional industry publications published within the past 5 years that support your research findings.
Graded Requirements
The research requirements, outlined below, correspond to the grading criteria in the assessment scoring guide, so be sure to address each point.

Explain how the organization’s mission and vision enable it to contribute to public health and safety improvements.

Include examples of ways a local and/or global initiative supports organizational mission and vision and promotes public health and safety.

Evaluate an organization’s ability to promote equal opportunity and improve the quality of life in the community.

Consider the effects of social, cultural, economic, and physical barriers.

Assess the impact of funding sources, policy, and legislation on the organization’s provision of services.

Consider the potential implications of funding decisions, policy, and legislation for individuals, families, and aggregates within the community.

Explain how an organization’s work impacts the health and/or safety needs of a local community.

Consider how nurses might become involved with the organization.

Organize content so ideas flow logically with smooth transitions; contains few errors in grammar/punctuation, word choice, and spelling.
Apply APA formatting to in-text citations and references exhibiting nearly flawless adherence to APA format.

Write with a specific purpose and audience in mind.
Adhere to scholarly and disciplinary writing standards and APA formatting requirements.

Additional Requirements
Before submitting your paper, proofread it to minimize errors that could distract readers and make it difficult for them to focus on your research findings.

 

NURS4900
The capstone course is the culmination of the BSN degree program and provides learners the opportunity to demonstrate the competencies they have gained during their program. Learners integrate new knowledge from the literature into practice via direct practicum hours in a patient, family, or group setting to demonstrate proficiency and create high-quality deliverables to apply in future practice. In the capstone experience, learners also further apply their knowledge of the program outcomes.  For BSN learners only. Must be taken during the learner’s final quarter. Prerequisite(s): NURS4010, NURS4020, NURS4030, NURS4040, NURS4050, completion of or concurrent registration in NURS4060. Cannot be fulfilled by transfer or credit for prior learning.
Present your approved intervention to the patient, family, or group and record a 10-15 minute video reflection on your practicum experience, the development of your capstone project, and your personal and professional growth over the course of your RN-to-BSN program.
Baccalaureate-prepared nurses have many opportunities to reflect on their contributions to patient care outcomes during clinical experiences. Research suggests that creating and sharing video reflections may enhance learning (Speed, Lucarelli, & Macaulay, 2018).
For this assessment, you’ll present your approved intervention to the patient, family, or group and reflect on various aspects of your capstone practicum experience. Such reflection will give you a chance to discuss elements of the project of which you are most proud and aspects of the experience that will help you grow in your personal practice and nursing career.
DEMONSTRATION OF PROFICIENCY
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the course competencies through the following assessment scoring guide criteria:

Competency 2: Make clinical and operational decisions based upon the best available evidence.

Describe one’s use of evidence and peer-reviewed literature to plan and implement a capstone project.

Competency 3: Transform processes to improve quality, enhance patient safety, and reduce the cost of care.

Explain whether capstone project outcomes matched one’s initial predictions.

Competency 4: Apply health information and patient care technology to improve patient and systems outcomes.

Assess the degree to which one successfully leveraged health care technology in a capstone project to improve outcomes or communication with a patient, family, or group.

Competency 5: Analyze the impact of health policy on quality and cost of care.

Explain how health policy influenced the planning and implementation of one’s capstone project, as well as any contributions the project made to policy development.

Competency 7: Implement patient-centered care to improve quality of care and the patient experience.

Assess the contribution of an intervention (capstone project) to patient, family, or group satisfaction and quality of life.

Competency 8: Integrate professional standards and values into practice.

Assess one’s personal and professional growth throughout a capstone project and the RN-to-BSN program.
Communicate professionally in a clear and well-organized video.

Reference
Speed, C. J., Lucarelli, G. A., & Macaulay, J. O. (2018). Student produced videos—An innovative and creative approach to assessment. Sciedu International Journal of Higher Education, 7(4).
INSTRUCTIONS
Complete this assessment in two parts: (a) present your approved intervention to the patient, family, or group and (b) record a video reflection on your practicum experience, the development of your capstone project, and your personal and professional growth over the course of your RN-to-BSN program.
PART 1
Present your approved intervention to the patient, family, or group. Plan to spend at least 3 practicum hours exploring these aspects of the problem with the patient, family, or group. During this time, you may also consult with subject matter and industry experts of your choice. Be sure you’ve logged all of your practicum hours in CORE ELMS.
Use the Intervention Feedback Form: Assessment 5 [PDF] as a guide to capturing patient, family, or group feedback about your intervention. You’ll include the feedback as part of your capstone reflection video.
Part 2
Record a 10–15 minute video reflection on your practicum experience, the development of your capstone project, and your personal and professional growth over the course of your RN-to-BSN program. A transcript of your video is not required.
You’re welcome to use any tools and software with which you are comfortable, but make sure you’re able to submit the deliverable to your faculty. Capella offers Kaltura, a program that records audio and video. Refer to Using Kaltura for more information about this courseroom tool.
Note: If you require the use of assistive technology or alternative communication methods to participate in these activities, please contact Disability Services to request accommodations. If you’re unable to record a video, please contact your faculty as soon as possible to explore options for completing the assessment. NURS 4900 Capella University Patient Satisfaction and Quality of Life Capstone
REQUIREMENTS
The assessment requirements, outlined below, correspond to the scoring guide criteria, so address each main point. Read the performance-level descriptions for each criterion to see how your work will be assessed. In addition, note the additional requirements for supporting evidence.

Assess the contribution of your intervention to patient or family satisfaction and quality of life.

Describe feedback received from the patient, family, or group on your intervention as a solution to the problem.
Explain how your intervention enhances the patient, family, or group experience.

Describe your use of evidence and peer-reviewed literature to plan and implement your capstone project.

Explain how the principles of evidence-based practice informed this aspect of your project.

Assess the degree to which you successfully leveraged health care technology in your capstone project to improve outcomes or communication with the patient, family, or group.

Identify opportunities to improve health care technology use in future practice.

Explain how health policy influenced the planning and implementation of your capstone project, as well as any contributions your project made to policy development.

Note specific observations related to the baccalaureate-prepared nurse’s role in policy implementation and development.

Explain whether capstone project outcomes matched your initial predictions.

Discuss the aspects of the project that met, exceeded, or fell short of your expectations.
Discuss whether your intervention can, or will be, adopted as a best practice.
Describe the generalizability of your intervention outside this particular setting.

Assess your personal and professional growth throughout your capstone project and the RN-to-BSN program.

Address your provision of ethical care and demonstration of professional standards.
Identify specific growth areas of which you are most proud or in which you have taken particular satisfaction.

Communicate professionally in a clear, audible, and well-organized video.

Additional Requirements
Cite at least three scholarly or authoritative sources to support your assertions. In addition to your reflection video, submit a separate APA-formatted reference list of your sources.